owan's heart, as her head swam, and in
imagination she saw the flash of the soldiers' muskets, and then heard
the heavy fall of one for whom she would have gladly died.

Her hand went out to catch at the bottom pillar of the balustrade, and
she stood swaying to and fro in the darkness, struggling hard to master
the terrible sensation of faintness which came over her.

It soon passed off, for the thought came to her that she must be firm.
She was doing nothing to help her husband; but he had bidden her keep
watch there over that door, and guard it against danger from within, and
as a soldier's wife she would have died sooner than neglect the duty
with which he had intrusted her. For how did she know what pressure
might be brought to bear upon the weak woman below? The soldiery had
been into the area, where there were only the glass windows between, and
a broken pane would form an easy way for passage of threats. If bidden
to open in the King's name, what might they not do? Ah, she must guard
against that, and with her nerves newly strung, she stood listening for
a few moments to the buzz of voices outside, and then, feeling that it
was impossible for danger to assail them without warning from the front
door, she went to the head of the stairs which led down into the
basement.

"In the King's name!" she said softly. "Robert is my king, and I can
obey none other."

She was herself again now--the quick, eager, brave woman, ready to do
anything to save her husband's life; and gliding down the stairs she
silently passed the open door of the housekeeper's room, where she could
hear the servant girl sobbing, and the old housekeeper trying to comfort
her and then to comfort herself.

The next minute, quite unheard, she was at the end of the stone passage
where the big, heavy door opened into the area, and began passing her
hand over bolt, bar, and lock, to find all fast; and with a sigh of
relief she was in the act of softly drawing out the big key, when a
movement outside told her that a sentry had been placed at that door,
and that the man must have heard the movement of the key.

This made her pause, with her heart throbbing wildly; but in a minute or
so she recovered herself, and almost by hairbreadths drew the great key
slowly out with scarcely another sound, and crept back along the passage
once more, past the open doorway through which the light streamed, and
then up the stairs, and back to her former position